Cutting U.S. Foreign Aid Threatens Efforts To Address Poverty, U.S. National Security

Jul 06, 2017

New York Times: Letter to Editor: Aid to Africa
Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America

“While the military leads the fight against terrorism on the battlefield, it needs strong civilian partners in the battle against the drivers of extremism: lack of opportunity, insecurity, injustice, and hopelessness. That is why cutting foreign aid is so devastating for the fight against poverty and for our national security. Worse yet, such cuts would come at a time of crisis. Today, 30 million people are at risk of famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia. … At a time of rising needs, any cuts to foreign aid are immoral, shortsighted, and costly, both to people in crisis and to the United States’ standing in the world” (7/5).